Bette
said “Always”.

Tina
got onto the bed with Bette and snuggled up beside her.  She laid on her side so that she could look
at Bette.  She ran her hand up and down
Bette’s arm and held her hand.  They didn’t
say anything to each other.  Bette was so
weak and tired that she was starting to feel like she needed to go back to
sleep.  Tina was warned of this side
effect from the loss of blood and the subsequent transfusion.

Tina
said “Baby if you need to fall asleep go ahead and let yourself go into
dreamland. I will be right here with you when you wake up. I am not going
anywhere or letting you out of my sight. 
You look so sleepy my love”.

Bette nodded her head and blinked her eyes several times and then she was out
like a light. Tina kept up her rhythmic caressing of  Bette for quite some time after she fell
asleep. She loved Bette so much that it almost felt like pain in her chest. She
felt like she was bursting with love and at the same time she felt helpless to
absorb the pain.  And then she thought to
herself  that this must have been what
Bette felt when she lost their son. Bette must have felt this helpless and
hopeless.  And on top of feeling like you
can’t help and you can’t protect Tina remembered that she was so focused on her
own pain that she didn’t factor in Bette at all during that process. Not only
did not she not consider Bette, she actually pulled away from her. She withdrew
deeper into herself and her own depression. In this instant, she understood how
their reactions to losing their son led Bette down the road of cheating with
Candace.  By no means did Tina excuse it,
but she forgave it and let it go out into the universe. She was visibly shaken
and crying at this point. She snapped out of her own head when she heard Bette
calling for her.

Bette
said “Tee? What is wrong? Tina? Talk to me please”.

Tina
said “Bette, I love you so much. Please don’t withdraw and turn into yourself
like I did when we lost our son. Please, no matter how hard, continue to
communicate and talk to me. And please, please, let  love you, let me help you carry the emotional
burden of this”.

Bette
said “Tina, I promise. I promise to communicate with you and go through this
together. I am right here and you are right here with me”.

Tina
said “I won’t leave your side babe, I promise”.